Cocktails with Cloves
Cloves are the dried, unopened flower buds of the clove tree, used whole or ground as a warm, intensely pungent spice.
How it's used
Clove oil is around 80% eugenol, and even a little clove overpowers most other flavors. Cloves keep extracting as long as they steep, so lift them out before the drink turns medicinal. For mulled wine or a toddy, stud them into a citrus wheel so they come out in one move.
Substitutes for Cloves
One berry replaces one clove. It tastes rounder, and the aroma recalls cinnamon and nutmeg.
Ground cloves
A quarter teaspoon replaces three buds, releasing flavor much faster. Tie it in a cheesecloth bag or strain the drink through a coffee filter.
Storage
Whole cloves keep two to four years sealed and dark. Judge them by smell: if the aroma has faded, so has the oil. Check ground cloves at six months, replace them once they stop smelling of clove, and buy the smallest jar.
